Recently, a new piece of malware has been wreaking havoc online, locking innocent users out of their files and demanding money. Cryptolocker is a form of virus known as “ransomware” – a variety that attempts to extort money in exchange for providing users with what they already own, but can no longer access.

So what is it about Cryptolocker that changes the game, and how do you prevent yourself from falling victim to this vile threat. That is precisely what we want to look at today.

Full article here:
What is Cryptolocker and How Do You Prevent It? (Make Tech Easier)

We would also add that frequent backups to media that is not connected 24/7 is probably a good idea. If you backup to something that requires a user name and password to access, and it’s not already connected at the time the attack occurs, then that data is probably safe. If you happen to have a recent backup made using something like Redo Backup and Recovery, then should an attack like this occur, you can simply wipe the drive clean and reformat it, then restore from your backup and get most of your files back. But that only works if you make the backup before your system is infected, and only if the attacker can’t access your backup file and corrupt that. So if you choose to backup to a network share, make sure it’s a share that you must log into using a strong password before you can access it, and that it’s NOT a share that you normally stay connected to during day-to-day use!